The dining room where the roomers gathered if they felt like eating was a small dingy room.  Very few came down for breakfast because Madame stopped serving at 9:00 a.m.  It was an ungodly hour for those who had any kind of  life at night.

A glass top dining table nearly filled the room.  When you sat down, the back of the chair bumped the wall.

The only one who got up early was George Crandle Endelman and he wanted the breakfast because it was gratuit. George counted his francs. The strong coffee, a piece of baguette and butter were plenty to keep him going until dinner-time. George knew how to save money.

He sat at the huge table and wondered why Madame had placed this huge table in the breakfast room.  It was actually a lovely table.  It would fit beautifully into Lara Tassaco’s handsomely decorated home in New Orleans’ Garden District.